NOV 24-JAN 1
Start a new tradition at the Winter Village at Green Valley Ranch
For the first time, the Backyard at Green Valley Ranch will become a Winter Village, featuring holiday music, 60+ decorated trees, fire pits and a 6,000 sq. ft. ice rink with real ice and views of the Vegas Strip. Cost: Free admission. (Skating $20.)

NOV 24-DEC 31
Sledding at Wet n’ Wild
Check it out! The water park has been transformed into Christmas Town, with an ice skating rink, sledding hill, lights, snow, and a 40-foot Christmas tree. Cost: General admission $20. (Children 2 and under free.)

DEC 1-30
Snowfall on the Strip – The Linq
Enjoy a White Christmas in Las Vegas with nightly snowfall throughout the outdoor promenade. Holiday performers will make an appearance at the top of the hour from 6-9pm during the week. Cost: Free.

DEC 1-JAN 6
Stop And Smell The Holiday Flowers
The annual holiday display is back at the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at Bellagio. Thousands of flowers, lights, and decorations, including the tallest Christmas tree on the Strip, plenty of poinsettias, and a few floral polar bears. Cost: Free

SUNDAY, DEC 31
The Earlier Side Of New Year’s Eve
If midnight is a little too late for celebrating, bring yourself and the kids to the Discovery Children’s Museum earlier in the day for Noon Year’s Eve (from 10:30 to 12pm). Guests can make their own noisemakers, and sip on sparkling cider during a Noon balloon drop. Cost: $10-30

On August 14, 2015, American West will be celebrating 31 years of homebuilding in Las Vegas. There is no other local builder who has been building new homes for this long in Southern Nevada. We are one of the nation’s largest privately owned homebuilders.

Larry Canarelli’s, American West Homes Company Founder, dream was to build beautiful homes for the families of Las Vegas, In the past 31 years, that dream has been realized by over 17,000 homeowners we have welcomed into a new American West home and over 100 new home communities we have built in Las Vegas.

“I love Las Vegas,” said Larry Canarelli. “I think this is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, and I always have. Since the day I arrived here, I’ve worked hard to make Las Vegas a beautiful place. Our commitment to making a better Las Vegas is seen in each of the homes we have built since day one.” American West has won numerous local and national architectural design awards since its beginnings in 1984.

“We want to see Las Vegas continue to develop where quality of life is preserved and enhanced, at its highest possible level,” said Canarelli. For us, that starts with making our communities absolutely beautiful. We do that in part with superior architectural designs, greenbelts, entry monumentation, state-of-the-art schools and larger yards. As a home builder, we have the opportunity to benefit the community in many ways. By helping schools, building parks and being involved with community programs, we can help provide an environment where people feel comfortable raising their children.”

As a builder, American West understands that purchasing a new home is one of the biggest investments that anyone will make it their lifetime. When you buy a home built by American West, you can take comfort in knowing that you’ve bought from the Number One Builder in America – American West, America’s best.

A few of American West’s accomplishments over the years:

Over 17,000 families live in an American West home.

There are over 100 American West communities throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

American West has been ranked on the national Builder 100 list 28 times since 1984.

We are the only builder in the nation to be the recipient twice of the coveted ACE Award for Construction Excellence.

Awarded 2015 Silver Nugget for Best Master Bath in Las Vegas.

Awarded 2015 Silver Nugget for Best Single Family Home.

American West is the largest residential land holder in Southern Nevada.

American West is the Best Price Per Square Foot of any new homebuilder in Las Vegas.

As a company, we are thrilled to be celebrating 30 Years of building new homes in the wonderful city we call home, Las Vegas. American West first started making dreams of homeownership come true for the families of Southern Nevada on August 14, 1984. Our company is one of the nation’s most successful privately owned homebuilders. We are the only local homebuilder in Las Vegas who can state they have been building in this incredible city for 30 Years.

American West’s neighborhoods are the best masterfully planned in the valley. Our commitment to excellence is evident in everything we do and is the reason why we are Southern Nevada’s #1 Homebuilder. Many companies build homes, but few are as committed to improving the quality of life for the people who live in them. To the dedicated professionals at American West, designing and constructing new homes means virtually every aspect of living – comfort, lifestyle, convenience, quality and innovation.

Through the years, we have accumulated over 200 awards from local, regional and national industry peers. Among them are the ACE (Award for Construction Excellence) Award. It is one of the most coveted awards in the industry. American West has received this highly-recognized award twice! No other builder in the nation has accomplished this feat.

Since 1984, we have built more than 100 new home communities throughout the valley and welcomed over 16,000 homeowners to the American West family (we will be at 17,000 by the end of the year). American West strongly believes in the homes and communities that we build. This belief starts and ends with our company founder, Larry Canarelli who has devoted himself to building beautiful, affordable homes for families. He puts his heart and soul into every home that American West builds.

Every American West home is known for its quality construction, abundance of included features, and superior customer service. Our homes and neighborhoods stand the test of time – proof of this is evident in any of our 100 new home communities throughout the valley.

As we celebrate this tremendous milestone, we continue to remain on the cutting edge of innovation and design and we’re continuing to develop many more new home designs and new home communities. Our goal remains the same, provide beautiful homes for the families of Las Vegas and make dreams come true. Looking forward to the next 30 Years!

We hope that you enjoy your July 4th and that you get to spend the day celebrating family and friends.

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. [From Wikipedia]

Have you ever wondered what happened to those who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from their wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

At the Battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire, which was done. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and his properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his grist mill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home after the war to find his wife dead, his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft spoken men of means and education. They had security, but valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged “For the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” [From “The Price They Paid” from the National Federation of National Business]

“And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. “ – Lee Greenwood